Grace Under Pressure: Into Your Hands (Luke 23:44-49)

Give them a hand

When you see this product what do you think of? Created in 1898, it became the soap that was good for your hands. How important are your hands? Hands are important in sports. Just ask Tony Romo. Maradona scored one of the most controversial goals in history with his hand. And the most famous painting in the Sistine Chapel is the Creation of Adam, notable for its hand of God. In fact, creativity is one of the main characteristics given to hands.

Hold out your hands and take a look. What is it that you see? You may see smooth, lotioned hands. Or rough hands from working out in the shop. You may see callouses from swinging a baseball bat or using a broom. You may see long, skinny fingers, or short, stubby fingers. You might see a wedding ring, or a class ring, or a ring that once belonged to a family member. You might see a scar, or a crooked finger. Everyone’s hands tell a unique story.

Our hands can do so many good things. Hands deliver babies, bathe infants, and change diapers. A firm handshake or embrace welcomes. With our hands, we prepare and serve meals. We salute the flag or place our hands over our hearts. Hands place a Band-Aid over a cut, and very skilled hands perform surgery. Hands create beauty – painting, sculpting, woodworking. The deaf understand through sign language. The blind read with their hands. We recognize a job well done with clapping, or by writing a thank-you note.

Hands are creative. Hands are hard-working. Hands are expressive. Hands are protective. Hands are also powerful.

Of course, in our world broken by sin, there’s a flip side. Human hands are responsible for a lot of pain, too. Hands hang up on someone or slam the door in a person’s face. Hands communicate displeasure with another driver. (I won’t act that one out.) Hands type angry e-mails and vitriolic social media posts. While a person’s lips may say one thing is true, a hand with crossed fingers is behind the back. Hands steal. Hands pull the trigger on innocent people.

The worst evil ever was perpetrated by hands. Hands killed the creator of the universe. Peter says as much in his great sermon in the Temple:

Acts 2:23 “You nailed Jesus to a cross and killed him by the hands of lawless people.”

Human hands are responsible for the death of Jesus. Hands were part of the worst moment ever.

God’s Hands

God, of course, does not have hands, but he is depicted throughout the Bible as having hands.

Psalm 8:6 You made him ruler over the works of your hands; you put everything under his feet:

Job 12:10 The life of every living thing is in his hand, as well as the breath of all humanity.

Psalm 118:16 The Lord’s right hand is raised. The Lord’s right hand performs valiantly!

Isaiah 64:8 Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we all are the work of your hands.

And Jesus is now at the right hand of the Father. Peter says this in his sermon in the Table at Pentecost:

Acts 2:33 “Jesus has been exalted to the right hand of God.”

God’s right hand is seen as being very powerful and protective. It’s this view of God’s hands that led to one of the most popular songs of the 1950s. The only gospel song to ever reach #1 is “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands”.

The whole world in God’s hands. That idea is throughout the Bible. And now, at the end of Jesus’s life, as he is finishing his work of salvation, Jesus says:

Luke 23:46 “Father, into your hands I entrust my spirit.”

Into your hands. Where is it that Jesus places his destiny? In the hands of the Father. The Father who has the whole world in His hands now has the Creator of the world in His hands. Into your hands.

There are three things we can say about Jesus’ statement here:

The Text

His death was voluntary

Jesus gave up his life voluntarily. Nobody forced Jesus to die. This is the Creator of the world. This is one who could have called the angles of heaven. And he doesn’t. Death, which is being defeated in this very moment, had to have permission to take Jesus.

His death was calculated

The second thing we can say is that his death was calculated. Not only did Jesus willingly go to the cross, here it is Jesus deciding the time that he would give up his life. Those religious leaders only thought they were in control. The Roman executioners only thought they were in control. One of the most fascinating aspects of Jesus’ death throughout his entire story is how he was in control every step of the way. At no point was Jesus not in control of what was happening to him. That is how much he loves you and me.

Then third thing..

His death was confident faith

I don’t think we see this enough here. Jesus says “into your hands” because he trusts the father completely. It is very easy to forget, that moments before he says this on the cross, in his suffering and agony, he cries out that he has been abandoned by God. Does Jesus then, quit on God? Does he quit on His Father? Does he descend into doubt and unbelief? We talk about the temptations of Jesus.. this may have been the greatest one of all.. The Father has abandoned the Son. Will the Son walk away?

When Jesus says “Into Your Hands”, he is entrusting himself to the One who abandoned him. That is perfect faith. The prophet Habakkuk had said hundreds of years before… “burn the whole world down, and I will still trust in God.” The one who suffered greatly, Job, said “Even if He kills me, I’m putting my faith and trust in God”. Jesus does this perfectly. God, abandoned by God still has confidence and trust in God.

Jesus has perfect confidence in His Father in heaven to receive His work for our salvation and to entrust his very life to his care. This is God dying, and in dying, giving Himself to God. That’s Grace Under Pressure. Jesus dies voluntarily, Jesus is still in control, and he trusts his Father totally.

Now I lay me down to sleep

There is a deep, deep thought behind Jesus’ words. Jesus prays at the end, Into Your Hands. The One praying the prayer started the entire human race with his hands:

Genesis 2:7 Then the Lord God formed the man out of the dust from the ground and breathed the breath of life into his nostrils, and the man became a living being.

From beginning to end, God’s hands are involved in life. What Jesus says on the cross speaks to this reality: we’re never out of the Father’s hands. The popular nighttime prayer of children everywhere follows this pattern:

“Now I lay me down to sleep. I pray the Lord my soul to keep. Thy love go with me through the night. And wake me with the morning light.”

This prayer places faith and confidence in God’s hands. There’s never a moment we’re outside of the loving and caring hands of the Father.

Into Your Hands

But another version ends with another thought even more profound:

“If I die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take.”

If I die before I wake. We bat around a question about the end of life all of the time.. where are you going when you die? We’re not going to broach the subject and answer all of the end of life questions… but when we talk about dying and going to heaven to be with Jesus, we are speaking of leaving this life to be in the presence of Jesus. But in Jesus’ words, we find the ultimate hope and reality:

“Into Your Hands”

To die is to be in God’s hands. My aunt went to be with Jesus this week. She longed to be with Jesus. And what we can say about Aunt Joyce is the same thing we can say about all those who die in Christ: she is in God’s hands. And there’s no better place to be. To be in God’s hands is to be safe. To be in God’s hands is to be in God’s presence.

Hands that Redeem

And that’s where all of this is going. Jesus already has told the criminal that he would be with Him in paradise. And paradise is wherever Jesus is. Paradise is wherever God’s hands are. Paradise is God’s safe presence. To be in God’s hands is to be completely safe. It’s why Jesus died.

Jesus is quoting a Psalm when he says this, a Psalm Darrell read. Here’s the full line from that Psalm:

Psalm 31:5 Into your hand I entrust my spirit; you have redeemed me, Lord, God of truth.

Jesus entrusts himself to the Father so that he can redeem. There is redemption in Jesus’ words for us. Jesus died so that God’s hands would always be on us, protecting us from sin, death , and the devil. Because of Jesus’ faithfulness to redeem us, we can begin and end every day with the complete assurance that we are in the Lord’s hands. Daily, we commit our spirits to our heavenly Father, and we know that we are safe with Him.

This series has been about stress. We’ve noted that everything Jesus said on the cross provides us grace. Jesus had you in mind, even as he says His final words at the cross. The most stressful situation ever. Jesus was giving grace at the cross, even as He is dying to give us grace, forgiveness, life, and salvation. This last statement is no different. What does it do for your stress level to know that you are always in God’s hands, even in death? What does your life look like knowing that you are always in his hands? Jesus’ grace under stress at the cross is His grace under stress for you wherever you live, work, learn, and play.

Everyone’s hands tell a story. Jesus’ hands tell the greatest story of all. The holes where nails were driven tell the story of God’s love for us. The holes prove how far God was willing to go to secure eternal life for all who trust in Him. The holes in Jesus’ hands will forever testify to that fact that Jesus did it all for you and me.

Let’s Pray.

This is Jesus voluntarily for us. This is Jesus in total control for us. This is Jesus having faith in His Father for us. This is Jesus creating faith for us right here. These are the nail scars. The broken body, the shed blood. It is here that you will find God’s hands for you. You want to place yourself in God’s hands. Come to this Table this morning.